Clear Signs You Need San Ramon Mediation

by | Jun 10, 2021 | Mediation

Have you been wondering if you should consider giving mediation a try before things get ugly? If you’re hoping to keep your disagreement outside of the courtroom, you might be on the right track. Are you looking for San Ramon mediation services? The following are some of the times when you should give family law mediation a chance.

Child Custody Negotiations

If you’re struggling through child custody details with your ex, you’re not alone. Conflict is common when it comes to co-parenting concerns, but that doesn’t mean things have to end up in a lengthy court battle. Not only are child custody disputes a painstaking and expensive process, but it’s tough on kids too. If your ex is willing to try to work things out with San Ramon mediation services, don’t pass up on a chance to find a compromise that works for both of you. 

When One Person Wants a Prenup

Whether one of you or both of you want a prenuptial agreement in place before the big day, a family law mediator can help you talk through any differences. Choosing San Ramon mediation services at a law office is even better because a family law attorney will have the experience you need to discuss things from all angles. Mediation will help ensure that these conversations stay productive instead of turning into destructive bickering. Most divorce lawyers recoommend that couples create a prenuptial agreement to protect themselves before the wedding. 

During a Divorce

On the other side of the spectrum, if your marriage has come to an end, mediation can help some people get through the difficult process of untangling their lives. If you or your spouse have filed for divorce, or you’ve discussed the possibility of calling it quits, a family law mediator is more affordable than airing your differences in court. Of course, for anyone who has a particularly contentious relationship with their ex, mediation is unlikely to be a useful alternative. But if you don’t fall into this category, San Ramon mediation services may be able to cut down on squabbles during a time when emotions run high. A family law mediator will listen to both sides and work to keep the channel of communication open, hopefully allowing a compromise to be reached. 

Who Gets the Silverware?

When your relationship ends, it can be hard to divvy up your life together, especially if you’ve lived with someone for years. Who gets the car you bought together? Who keeps the dog? Even if you aren’t married, these can be tough questions to sort through. Mediation can help you take inventory of your life together and the best way to divide your shared assets. 

San Ramon Mediation Services

Do you need to talk to a family law mediator? For San Ramon/Danville and surrounding areas for mediation services, contact us at Whipple, Mercado & Associates. You can schedule a free consultation, or give us a call at 925-344-5050. We’re here to answer any questions you have about your best legal options moving forward.  

Tammy J. Mercado

Tammy J. Mercado has a passion for helping her clients achieve their desired results. She listens and she personally and promptly responds to your texts, emails and phone calls. She offers real solutions to your legal matters. Tammy will carefully evaluate the legal issues in your case, provide you with sound advice and offer you the pros and cons of each possible scenario so you can meet your legal objectives. She encourages clients to participate in their own matters. Tammy believes that client participation is key to a positive result and to keeping attorney fees as low as possible. You can be sure that she will offer you straightforward, sound and honest advice in a professional manner, with integrity and excellence.

Before opening her own law practice, Tammy worked for many high-volume law firms. This gave her extensive, diversified experience in hundreds of complex family law cases as well as civil matters. She is admitted to practice law before all courts in California and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. She is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Contra Costa Bar Association, the Alameda County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco. Tammy is also a member of the Rotary Club of Danville.

Tammy is a graduate of John F. Kennedy School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science in business management from the University of Phoenix. Tammy is also a licensed real estate broker, which comes in handy for valuing property in family law cases as well as real estate matters in the civil arena.

During her off time, Tammy is an avid sailor who crews and races on various boats in the San Francisco Bay. Tammy approaches each case as she would any yacht race: by assessing the other’s strengths, weaknesses, experience, equipment, history and reputation. She is a member of the American Sailing Association, and she is a certified Coast Guard Auxiliary member.

HONORS AND AWARDS
Tammy was selected to receive the prestigious “Business Person of the Year” Award in 2017 for the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce.

Tammy is currently serving as Danville Rotary President for 2017 through 2019.

Mary C. Whipple, CFLS

Mary C. Whipple opened her first law practice in the summer of 2008. She previously was an associate attorney at the Law Office of Cummins & Holmes, a full-service civil litigation law firm in San Ramon. The majority of her experience is in family law, which includes divorce, custody, support, prenuptial agreements and domestic-violence restraining orders. Certified by the California State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization, she is a specialist in the area of family law. Mary has also represented clients in a variety of non-family-law cases, including juvenile dependency, probate, breach of contract and employment disputes, to name a few.

Mary also previously worked as a contract attorney for O’Melveny & Meyers in San Francisco while simultaneously volunteering at the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Volunteer Legal Services Program, representing defendants in unlawful detainer actions. The program acknowledged Mary with an Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service Award in 2006 for her efforts in providing access to justice.

A seventh-generation Californian, Mary is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Science in criminology at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. She is a member of the State Bar of California, the Alameda County Bar Association, and the Contra Costa County Bar Association.

In addition, Mary is active in her community as a member of the Ambassador’s Committee for the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce; a volunteer at the Contra Costa County and Alameda County Superior Courts, where she assists self-represented litigants in completing their divorces; and a member of Divorce Angel, where she provides information regarding family law matters to members of the community. Since 2007 she has been a volunteer judge for Alameda and Contra Costa County’s Annual High School Moot Court Competition. She is also a member of the Danville/Sycamore Valley Rotary Club. She was awarded the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce 2012 Business Person of the Year; and a graduate of the 2012 class of Leadership San Ramon Valley.

CERTIFIED LEGAL SPECIALTIES
Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization